


Hidden words

by ShadowsintheClouds



Series: Short Marvel Fics and gifts [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adorable Steve Rogers, Adorable Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Tony Stark, Boys In Love, Consent is Sexy, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt Tony Stark, Insecure Steve Rogers, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Top Steve Rogers, a little bit cannon complient, and he gets one, do not copy to another site, everyone's cute!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:40:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21868408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowsintheClouds/pseuds/ShadowsintheClouds
Summary: In a world where someone's soul name is held in great regard, Steve is forced to grow up hiding his, lest he and his soulmate get hurt for it. He tries his best to keep things hidden, but when he goes into the ice and braces for death he inadvertently reveals his soul name to those who find him years later. Will Steve have to continue hiding or will he finally get a chance at safety and happiness?
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Short Marvel Fics and gifts [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1173833
Comments: 16
Kudos: 348
Collections: 2019 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	Hidden words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Padraigen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Padraigen/gifts).



> To the wonderful Padraigen. I gift you some Insecure Steve mixed with a soulmate AU and Steve thinking the other Avengers are making fun of him, and a whole lot of love. Happy reading. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Prompt fill: Insecure Steve but with bits from the soulmate prompt.

Steve was born into a world that glorified your soul name. The names that appeared in your wrist when you turned 5 were held in great regard. Great alliances and unions of love were formed because of soul names. But, not all names were treated equally. You had to have the right kind of name to make it safely in the world.

But nobody told that to tiny little sickly Steve Rogers who was so excited to show off the name on his wrist to his mom why he turned 5.

“Mommy! Mommy! Look! I got my soul name!” Shouted Steve the morning of his 5th birthday. He raced down the stairs as fast as his little legs could carry him and right into his mother’s arms.

“Let’s see my sweet boy.” Smiled Sarah, and Steve was quick to hold out his left wrist with a smile. Right there in deep black letters was the name **Anthony Edward Stark**.

Upon seeing the name Sarah’s face morphed from joy to worry. The world wasn’t kind to same-sex soulmates. Often they were abused or even killed for daring to go against the “natural order”. Sarah didn’t believe in any of that. She believed that love was love and your soulmate shouldn’t be accepted solely based on gender. But her heart hurt for her baby. All she wanted was for Steve to be happy and healthy, but it looked like the world had other plans.

“Stevie honey, I’m so happy you’ve got your soul name, but now you must listen to me. You’ll find your soulmate someday but until then you must keep your name covered. Never show anyone your name. Keep it a secret. The world is not kind to same-sex soulmates and I don’t want either of you to get hurt should you be found out.” Cautioned Sarah as she pulled her baby into her arms.

“Mommy, what does same-sex mean?” asked Steve. He was still young and didn’t quite understand.

“Same-sex means that both you and your soulmate are boys.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No Stevie. No, it’s not. But the world still thinks in outdated terms when it comes to soulmates. There is nothing wrong with who your soulmate is. There is nothing wrong with you. Always remember that my baby. Always remember that.” 

Steve nodded and hugged his mom. He felt conflicted. He was so happy that he now knew who his soulmate was, but he was also scared. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to love his soulmate. Wasn’t that why you had a soulmate in the first place? So that you’d always have someone to love? It didn’t make sense.

So, despite Steve not really understanding what was going on, he did what his mom told him to do. He kept his soul name covered. He was given an old band that used to belong to his father so nobody would question him wearing it. When Steve started school he kept the name covered and he never shared it. It made Steve feel like an outcast. While the other boys were chasing girls on the playground trying to find their soulmates, Steve stayed behind and drew things on what little paper he could get his hands on. Steve would draw everything he could see. He wanted to record all the things he wanted to show his soulmate when they finally met.

Overall, school wasn’t great for Steve. Sure, he was smart enough to keep up with his classmates even though he continued to miss school from being sick, but the kids were horrible. Well, that was until third grade when James Barnes moved next door. James and Steve had met one day because their mothers had become quick friends so, therefore, their kids just had to hang out together. James was a year older then Steve was but because their school was poor they were in the same class along with pretty much all the other kids in the neighbourhood which included James’s little sister Rebecca.

James and Steve became fast friends. They did everything together. This included getting into fights. Steve would find some bully and pick a fight while James would patch him up before they got home. In all their adventures James became Bucky after his middle name, and Steve became Stevie. The two were inseparable.

“Hey Steve. Why haven’t you shown anyone your soul name?” asked Bucky one afternoon when they were 12. Steve looked down at the tied up fabric around his wrist before answering.

“My Ma said not to. She told me to only show it to my soulmate. Said it was special and should be kept secret.”

Bucky looked a bit sullen but accepted the answer. That was why Steve liked Bucky, he respected Steve’s boundaries. Bucky did share his name though. **Natalia Alianovna Romanova.**

When Steve was 18 his mom died and with her, the last person who knew who Steve’s soulmate was. Steve cried at her funeral. Bucky and his sister remained at his side the entire time. He ended up moving in with the Barnes’s a few days after the funeral. They needed the extra hands after Bucky’s dad died in a military training accident. Steve used what little money his mom had left him and from selling the old apartment to attend art school. Art truly was his passion. He hoped his soulmate would like his art.

Things were calm for a couple of years. But they didn’t stay that way. Becca moved out and got married to a swell young fella who worked in a factory so she wasn’t home anymore. Not long after the wedding, Bucky’s mom died of influenza so it was just Steve and Bucky living in the old apartment. Bucky ended up working down at the docks and Steve took odd jobs at various newspapers just so they could make ends meet.

Then the war hit.

At first, it didn’t really affect them. The war was in Europe and America hadn’t joined yet. But then Pearl Harbour happened and the USA joined the fight. The day Bucky received a letter saying that he’d been drafted was a bad day. Neither really wanted to go to war but they had to. Bucky wanted to live up to the image of his father and so did Steve.

So, while Bucky was away at basic Steve waited for his own draft letter. It never came. Sure, Steve might not have been the best man for the job, but he wanted to help. He wanted to show that he was strong and capable for his soulmate. So, Steve went to the recruitment office and lies on his forms. He got rejected.

Steve hopped over to a different part of New York. He got rejected again.

Steve tried a third time the day Bucky came home from basic. He got rejected again.

Being rejected over and over when all he wanted to do was help put Steve in a foul mood. It made him feel insecure about his body and his health. He wanted to be better for his soulmate when they finally met. He just felt like he wasn’t doing enough to be useful. Who would want him if he wasn’t useful?

Luckily, Steve got one last chance to prove himself.

The night before Bucky shipped out for the western front they went to a science fair held by Howard Stark of Stark Industries. The whole time they were watching his flying car demonstration Steve couldn’t help but wonder if his Anthony was related to Howard. Steve would have asked but he was too scared of the repercussions if his secret got out. 

After that Bucky took off for a second and Steve found an army officer that was out scouting for recruits. In true Steve Rogers fashion, he lied on his forms. But this time he got caught. Steve thought for sure that he was going to go to prison. That wasn’t the case. An amazing man named Dr. Erskine approved Steve’s forms and told Steve about his work for the SSR and the work they were doing. Steve was full of glee as he held his approved enlistment forms in his pocket as he and Bucky walked back home together one last time before he was deployed. The whole time Steve’s mind kept wandering to a question that the good doctor asked him.

“Why do you want to fight?”

“I don’t like bullies.”

And Steve really didn’t like bullies. He hated people who treated others like dirt. He hated the people who treated him like dirt. He hated the people who he knew would treat his soulmate like dirt if they ever saw his soul name. Steve may have been small and sickly, but he wanted to fight to keep his soulmate safe. He wanted to create a world where they could be together without fear. He just wanted to be happy.

Starting basic training was weird. There were so many different people there at Camp Lehigh, most of them were jocks with too much energy. This was where Steve had the pleasure of meeting the incredibly badass Agent Peggy Carter. She took no shit from anybody and had a soft spot for Steve. Where the other men in the program went in with brut force, Steve used his brain to solve problems like a true tactician. Work smarter not harder that’s the old saying.

The day Steve was chosen for Project Rebirth he wouldn’t deny that he was scared. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him. All he knew was that he would try his hardest to make it though so he could be good. Once there they had Steve strip down and put on a pair of pants that were too big. People tried to get Steve to remove the fabric on his left wrist but he refused. He didn’t want anyone else finding out about his soul name and possibly killing him for it.

As Steve was getting strapped down he took a second to rub at his soul name. His hope that they could be together someday kept him from completely freaking out. It kept him going as Howard Stark began flipping switches and the pain got insane. It kept him going when he emerged from the chamber six feet tall and breathing normally for the first time in his life.

The whole affair wasn’t that good at all. Erskine was dead and despite the fact that Steve was now the perfect soldier, he was relegated to dancing monkey duty. At least he had a cool name now. Good old Captain America. The gig took him all over the country to places he’d never seen before. He hated it. He’d signed up so that he could fight so that he could make a difference. Yet here he was in a stupid suit selling war bonds.

The gig eventually took him to Europe to entertain the men overseas who were actually fighting. Steve was jealous but he did his job. Well that was until he heard that the group he’d just entertained was Bucky’s troop and that he and many others had been captured.

So naturally, Steve had to go save his oldest friend and as many others as he could along with him. 

Peggy and Stark helped with his little rescue mission. Peggy was actually the one to talk him into it. Steve was quick to infiltrate the base and find the missing soldiers and Bucky. Everyone was mostly alright and they all took immense joy in blowing up HYDRA with their own weapons. Steve had to admit that that part was fun. Plus he had his Bucky back. 

After the stunt with the 107th, Steve found himself promoted to an actual captain and in charge of his new unit, the Howling Commandos. They all made a pretty fucking great team. They worked very closely with the SSR, and in turn Peggy Carter, to take out every HYDRA cell they could find hidden across Europe.

There were times when Steve looked at Peggy and he wished that she was his soulmate. It would have been so much easier. He wouldn’t have to hide. He could be happy with her. They could move in together after the war, have a family. Just be happy. But that just wasn’t in the cards for Steve. Even though they had never met, Steve knew that he would love and cherish his Anthony, even if they had to share their love in secret lest they be punished. 

The war continued on and with it the fight against HYDRA. Almost once a week the Commandos were busting a HYDRA base. They were really good at it too. They’d get as much information as they could before making things go boom. They were also really good at stealth. Steve was proud of his team. He’d found a group of real friend that watched out for each other. For so long it was just Steve and Bucky. Now he had a group of like-minded people who wanted to make the world better.

There were nights while on watch duty where Steve would untie the fabric from his wrist and trace the name there. He hoped that his Anthony would be proud of him. Steve was there on the front line fighting HYDRA and trying to make a difference. Those nights were also the ones where Steve wished that the world wasn’t the way it was. All he wanted was love but the more people talked the more scared he got that someone would see his soul name.

Steve made sure to keep his wrist covered at all times.

Unfortunately for Steve, things quickly began to snowball and get worse. Much, much worse. In the span of two weeks, his life changed forever. It all started with a mission to snatch one of HYDRA’s top scientists from a moving train. They managed to capture Dr. Zola but in the prosses, Steve lost Bucky. His best friend in the whole wide world was blasted from the train and fell hundreds of feet into the ravine below.

Steve cried that night and tried to get drunk. He hated everything. The one person he had left who was as good as family was dead. Peggy tried to comfort him but the words fell on deaf ears. Steve wanted to hurt something. He wanted to hurt _someone._ He knew just who to hurt.

Steve stormed the HYDRA base where Red Skull was stationed with a blaze of fury and self-sacrificing bullshit. Steve wasn’t thinking rationally about trying to keep himself alive. He’d just lost his brother, plus maybe if he was dead then his soulmate would be safe. 

Everyone was concerned for Steve as the fight went on. Peggy and one of his superiors arrived to help. They ended up having to steal a car so Steve could catch up. He ended up giving Peggy a kiss on the cheek as a thank you for everything she’d done for him.

Once Steve was on the plane it was a quick fight to take down Red Skull. The cube that was on board had sucked him up into the great unknown leaving Steve alone with a plane full of active bombs bound for America. He knew what he had to do. With a final call back to base, Steve made the decision to die.

As the plane went down Steve ripped the well-worn fabric from his wrist. He was about to die alone in the arctic. Keeping the name of his soulmate a secret wasn’t an issue anymore. Steve looked at the name on his wrist and gave it a kiss as he plane hurtled towards the ice.

“I love you my Anthony. I’m so, so sorry. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

And with those last words of love, the plane hit the ice and the world went black.

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The sound of a radio woke Steve up. Everything seemed off. The light was too bright and the radio was playing a game what he and Bucky had attended before the war started. Thinking of Bucky made his heart clench, but nothing made it clench more than when he realized that his wrist was uncovered and his soul name out on display.

At that moment a young woman walked into the room and Steve frantically tried to cover his name. He couldn’t let anything bad happen to his soulmate because of him. The woman was talking but Steve wasn’t listening. He was watching. There was something off about this whole situation. First of all, the clothes the woman was wearing were all wrong. Between her and the radio, he knew that there was something fishy going on.

Steve quickly ripped off a strip of fabric from the bedding and covered his wrist before breaking out of the room. He ran completely barefoot down the halls as people in armour and guns ran after him. Steve took sharp corners. And shook men off of him. He needed to get out.

But once outside, Steve found that he was more confused than ever. All the cars looked different and every building was tall and covered in flashing lights like something out of one of those old books Bucky used to read. Steve kept running until he found himself cornered by cars and men with weapons. Steve looked around for an escape but found none. Just as he was about to fight his way out a man in a long trench coat and eyepatch walked forward and began talking to him. 

“At ease soldier.” Commanded the man and Steve looked on in confusion.

“What is all this?”

“We thought it would be a good idea to break the news to you gently Captain Rogers.”

“What, by tricking me? Thanks for that. No what do you want?” snarked Steve but mostly out of fear.

“You’ve been asleep Captain… for almost 70 years.”

Steve let the strange man with the eyepatch take him back in. He was in too much shock to process what was happening. His mind was moving a mile a minute. He was now 70 years in the future. That explained why everything looked different. But that also meant that he’d left everyone behind in the past. All his friends were not old or dead. His soulmate. God, his soulmate had probably waited his whole life for Steve and now they’d never get to be together. Steve felt a tear roll down his cheek at the thought.

Steve and the strange man drove for what felt like hours to another location. Steve wasn’t really paying much attention. His mind was in the past while his body was there in the future. Once the car stopped the man lead Steve into a large building by the river. Steve would have looked around to admire the architecture but he just followed along with empty steps. After walking for a little bit the man showed Steve into an office and sat him down. 

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Director Fury of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division or SHIELD for short. We’re what became of the SSR.”

Steve took in the words but wasn’t really listening. He was still in shock and didn’t know what to think anymore. He’d just lost everything. He had nothing and no one. He didn’t know what to do.

“Now, I’m sure this is a shock for you Captain, but rest assured that we’ll get you all caught up. There’s a lot of things you missed.” Spoke Fury as he pulled out a stack of files.

Steve looked between Fury and the stack before he slowly pulled it towards him. He flipped through the stack. There were some with labels pertaining to his old friends, some with information on major historical events, and some with how things have progressed. It was a lot to go through.

“Do you need me to read these?” asked Steve stupidly. He was still in shock over everything.

“You should. There’s lots of stuff in there, most of it very interesting. I’ll give you a couple of days to go through it before we meet back up to talk.”

“Where am I supposed to go?” asked Steve as he looked down at the files.

“We have an apartment all set up for you with everything you’ll need. You can stay there for a little while before we talk about integration.”

Steve again nodded dumbly and allowed Fury to once again escort him into a car. Steve sat there in silence the whole time just looking at the folders in his hands. All this information was there for him. The fate of his friends, how they won the war, how far things had progressed without him. It scared him. 

When they arrived at the apartment Fury gave Steve the keys and let him go on his own. With fury gone Steve closed the door and took a moment to just let all of his emotions out. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there on the floor in front of the door crying. He didn’t care. He’s just lost everything. He had nothing left. Life and moved on without him and it hurt. Things would really have been better if he’d just died in the crash. 

Once Steve managed to compose himself a bit he decided to take a look around the apartment. The place was plain. There was some basic furniture, a few paintings on the walls, a record player in the corner, a bookcase full of books. The kitchen was something else. There was so much food. And not army rations, actually good food. It was such a change from what he was used to. Just the other day he’d been eating beans from a can, now he had a fridge full of fresh vegetables.

Steve ended up sitting down in his new bedroom. It was just as plain as the rest of the place, but the bed felt wrong. It was just too soft. But Steve felt he had no right to complain. He took the files in his hands once more and decided that he might as well get started. There was a lot to go through.

Steve started with the files on historical events. He couldn’t bring himself to open the files on his most likely dead friends. Things had definitely changed in the years Steve spent in the ice. There was the cold war, all sorts of scandals with presidents, the civil rights movement. So much had happened and Steve felt horrible that he’d missed it.

Steve read throughout the night and into the morning. He found that he wasn’t tried at all so he kept going. He’d napped for 70 years he didn’t need any more sleep. Plus, there was just so much information to go through. Steve did take a break to eat though. He found that he was absolutely starving so he took the opportunity to raid his new kitchen.

That was when Steve discovered that food in the future was amazing. He spent an hour just trying little bits of everything. That was honestly his own little light in the dark. Steve very quickly discovered what he had a love for sour cream and onion chips. He brought a few bags back with him to his room so he could continue going over files. It gave his mind something to focus on when the information got to be too much.

Once night fell again Steve found himself reaching for the files on his old friends. Looking thought the files made him cry. They all moved on with their lives. Had families of their own. Had lived and loved. Steve was happy they’d all had a chance at happiness. He was just sad that he never got to be a part of it.

Peggy was still alive and kicking. She was in a nursing home now and had had two children with her husband Daniel Sousa. She’d helped found SHIELD and had lived an amazing life. Steve also looked over the file of another SHIELD founder, Howard Stark. There were parts of the file that had been redacted especially the bits where it talked about him having a son. That struck Steve as odd. He never took Howard for the type of man to settle down and have a kid. But it wasn’t like Steve could talk to the man. He and his wife had died in a car crash on December 16, 1991, leaving their 21-year-old son behind.

The son’s name wasn’t anywhere in the file. It was like it was being hidden. It struck Steve as odd but he kept pushing on. Before he knew it, two days had passed and Fury was back knocking on his door. 

“I figured it’s time for a check in. How’s the reading going?” asked Fury with a smile. Steve’s eyebrows creased as the man talked. He was hiding something from Steve and Steve wanted to know what it was.

“I’ve made it through most of them. A lots changed. I will say that I’m glad there’s all these vaccines to keep people from getting sick. No polio is nice.”

“Well, I’m glad you're going through everything. Now, do you have any questions so far?” asked Fury.

And Steve, well he just sat there for a second and thought. There had been one question plaguing his mind for the last few days. A question he was scared to ask sure, but Steve had nothing to lose in asking. 

“What are soul names like these days? How are they treated?” asked Steve as he tried not to look at the covered name on his wrist. 

“The world’s changed a lot since you went into the ice regarding soul names. Sure there are still some vocal ass hats out there who still believe that soulmates should only be between a man and a woman, but most good people don’t care. It doesn’t matter nowadays. Your soulmate is your soulmate. End of discussion.” Spoke Fury and Steve’s heart soared. Sure, he may now never get the chance to be with his soulmate, but the fact that things were safe now… It was just perfect.

“Now, speaking of soulmates, you may want to take a look at this file.” Smirked Fury and Steve frowned. He took the file from Fury’s hands and almost dropped it when he was the name on the front.

**Anthony Edward (Tony) Stark/Iron Man**

Steve looked between the file and his covered wrist. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Was this Anthony his Anthony? How did Fury know about his soul name? But then Steve realized that he’d gone into the ice with his name uncovered and that would explain how he knew. But Steve still had so many questions. He tore open the file with shaky fingers in a desperate attempt to get more information.

The second Steve opened the file we was met with the picture of the man. A beautiful man with big eyes and stylized facial hair. Steve couldn’t stop staring. Steve carefully read through the file. It mentioned that his soulmate was a genius with three doctorates, that he spoke many languages, and that he’d been kidnapped many times in the past. There was something about being an alcoholic that made Steve sad. And then there was something about an… arc reactor? Steve had no clue what it was but the picture the file painted wasn’t pretty. Bad things had happened to his soulmate and it made Steve’s heart bleed for him. 

But other then that, the file was pretty blank. There was so much redacted information that the total information present totalled about a page. It seemed odd. 

“There’s not much in this file is there.” Remarked Steve as he tried to keep his voice from wavering.

“No. Every time we try to update the file Stark just goes in and changes things. We’ve stopped trying.” Joked Fury. 

“I want to meet him.” Blurted out, Steve. At that moment he didn’t care about all his feelings of doubt. He didn’t care that in meeting his soulmate they might be killed for being together despite what Fury had told him. All Steve cared about was that he hadn’t lost his soulmate to time. He hadn’t lost the one person who kept him going throughout his youth. He wasn’t alone. 

“I thought you might say that. Go grab a few things and we’ll get going. It’s a bit of a drive to the tower.”

Steve nodded and quickly put together a bag of clothes that he’s found in the closet as well as some chips because Steve had very quickly become addicted to them. Once Steve was ready he followed Fury back out to the car and they were off.

The entire drive Steve sat there nervously. He wondered what his Anthony would be like. He wondered if he’d had to hide to growing up. He wondered if he would hate Steve for going into the ice and having the world think he was dead. He wondered if he would be enough.

Steve tried no to let his thought wander to those dark crevices but it was hard. 

After what felt like hours of driving Fury pulled up to this very large tower in Manhattan. The lights were illuminated and Steve couldn’t stop looking up as Fury drove into an underground parking garage. He and Steve got out of the car and Steve was trying his best to keep from freaking out. Fury lead Steve over to an elevator where he scanned some sort of card before they got in. 

“Welcome, Director Fury. Should I let Sir know that you’re here with a guest.” Asked a voice from the ceiling. Steve looked up and tried not to jump when it talked in a very lovely British accent. 

“Let him know JARVIS. I’ll be meeting him in the penthouse.”

“Um… what was that? What’s going on?” asked Steve. He was so very, very confused.

“That’s Stark’s AI, JARVIS. He can tell you more about him.”

Steve just nodded dumbly but smiled a bit. If his soulmate was responsible for the ceiling voice then he really was a genius.

The two continued to ride the elevator up for a few minutes before they got off on what was definitively a residential floor. Although, the space didn’t look very lived in. It looked… artificial, like a page out of a magazine. But, before Steve could properly take in his surroundings there was the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Fury I’ve told you more than once that I have no interest in your super-secret boy band. Also, official consulting hours are between 1 and 3 every other Thursday so why are you even here?” spoke a voice from around the corner.

The second the man came around the corner Steve realized that this was his Anthony. His soulmate. Anthony stopped in his tracks the moment he saw Steve and the two just stood there in shock just looking at each other and wondering if this was all real.

“Steven Grant Rogers, meet Anthony Edward Stark. You two have fun I’ve got work to return to.” Fury didn’t even stick around for a second after dropping that bomb. He just saw himself out as the two men stood there in shock.

“And go easy on him Stark. The man only been awake and out of the ice for a few days now.” Shouted Fury as the elevator closed and the two were left alone.

Neither really knew what to do. What are you supposed to do when you meet your soulmate for the first time after thinking that they’re long dead. All either could do was stand there in shock and try to process what was happening. Tony was the first to say anything.

“You’re… you’re here? I thought you were dead?” spoke the man in complete shock.

“Well, uh… I guess I’m harder to kill then originally thought.” Joked Steve nervously as he ran a hand through his har.

“Prove it to me. Prove you’re him.” Demanded Tony as he rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and ripped a leather band off of his wrist. He held it up and the name **Steven Grant Rogers** sat there like an invitation.

Upon seeing the name there Steve’s breath hitched. This really was his Anthony. Steve was quick to pull the fabric off his wrist and show the name there. This was the very first time he’d intentionally shown the name there to anyone but his mother. This moment was special.

Seconds later the two came together and fell into each other’s arms. They stood there hugging like their lived depended on it. Both were crying and clutching at each other as if this would all disappear any second. As if this was all a lie. But it wasn’t. This was real. This was finally happening.

Neither knew how long they stood there in each other’s arms. Neither cared. They’d both waited so long for this moment. This was there’s to cherish. It was Tony who was the first to pull away. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes with a smile on his face.

Well, uh… I guess some actual introductions are in order. Hi, I’m Tony. I guess you’re my soulmate.”

“My name’s Steve and I guess you’re mine.”

“I never thought I’d ever get to meet you. I spent my whole life being told you were dead.” Whispered Tony as he reached out to hold Steve’s hand.

“I’m so sorry Tony.” Muttered Steve. He wasn’t too sure how to respond to that.

“Well, uh… why don’t we sit down and talk about ourselves? I’m sure you’re different from all the stories. You’re so much better in person than on the pages of a comic book.”

“There are comic books about me?” asked Steve as he followed Tony over to the couch.

And from there they got to talking. Tony had Steve start so Steve told him all about his childhood in Brooklyn. He told Tony how his mother had had him hide his soul name because of how same-sex soulmates were treated. He told Tony about how he joined the army so he could create a better world for the people he love. He told Tony how seeing his name on his wrist was one of the only things that kept him growing. Steve poured his heart into everything he said. He needed Tony to know.

In turn, Tony told Steve about his childhood. Despite being rich Tony didn’t have it easy. He had a very rocky relationship with his father, who did turn out to be Howard, that he didn’t want to really talk about. His was awkward in school because everyone was so much older then him. He’d made his first friend at the age of 14 when he was shipped off to college at MIT. His name was Rhodey and the two would get into all sort of trouble together. Rhodey was like Steve’s Bucky. Tony talked about his parents dying young and him being manipulated by his godfather. He talked about Afghanistan and it made Steve want to cry. His soulmate had suffered and he hadn’t been there. It hurt. He felt horrible.

But there were some good moments. Tony told Steve about his other friends, Happy and Pepper, who were soulmates. He told Steve about how proud he was of his Rhodey who was a Colonel in the Air Force. But still, Tony had been hurting for a long time and it made Steve feel horrible.

“For the longest time, I thought that there was nobody out there for me. You were thought to be dead and nobody knew who my soul name was. I’ll admit that I did sleep around a lot. I wasn’t very comfortable with all of that. It was mostly just to fill the void of loneliness of thinking that I’d never have a soulmate of my own.” Spoke Tony with a sigh as he finished telling his tale. 

“Did you ever tell anyone who your soul name was?” asked Steve. He needed to know.

“No. Nobody knows except you and I guess now Fury. Howard and I had a very rocky relationship, my mom was always busy, and as for everyone else… Well, I didn’t want people to look at me with pity. Didn’t want the world to think I was broken for having a soulmate who was dead decades before I was even born.” Frowned Tony as he reached out for Steve’s hands.

“But, I have you now. I know I’m not broken. Normally I’d say, “fuck fate” but I guess fate did us a solid for once and finally brought us together.”

Steve smiled at Tony’s words. He agreed and was over the moon that fate had finally brought them together. Steve didn’t know exactly how much he needed Tony by his side until this moment. He finally felt complete.

The two spent the rest of the day just talking and sharing stories and getting to know each other. One of them was always touching the other. They both needed the contact. At one point Tony had ordered food and Steve was in shock over all the different options there were. He wanted to try a little bit of everything. Tony just laughed and asked his AI JARVIS to put in some orders. Steve felt bad about Tony spending so much money but Tony didn’t mind one bit.

“I’m a billionaire Steve. I have money to spare. I don’t mind introducing you to all the stuff this century has to offer. I’ve finally got my soulmate here. Let me spoil you a bit.” Smirked Tony and any argument Steve had just left him.

They continued talking and snacking on new treats late into the night. Neither were really away of time passing until Tony started yawning.

“We should probably get to bed.” Mumbled Tony. “I don’t really have a spare guest room because Pepper and Happy took it over. You can just stay with me.”

Steve agreed, albeit awkwardly, and followed Tony down the hall to his room. The room looked just as manufactures and impersonal as the rest of the place. The bed was perfectly made and it didn’t look like Tony slept there often.

“Sorry if the room looks weird. I normally just sleep down in my lab. I’ve got a bed down there.” Spoke Tony as he looked over at Steve.

“I don’t mind. It makes sense that you’d sleep there if you work as long as you’ve said.”

“Well… um… if we’re going to share a bed tonight then there’s uh… there’s one thing you should be aware of.” Stumbled Tony as he fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s the arc reactor. It goes pretty deep into my chest so it’s pretty uncomfortable for me to sleep on my back. I mostly just sleep on my side. I uh… I also wheeze a bit in my sleep because of it so with that and the light from it I’m sorry if it keeps you up.” Rambled Tony and Steve walked forward and stopped him.

“Can you show me?” asked Steve. He was curious about the reactor and he wanted Tony to feel comfortable.

“Are you sure? It’s not pretty. There’s all this scaring. It’s not pretty.”

“But it’s part of you. You shouldn’t have to hide and apologize for my benefit.” Spoke Steve as he got closer.

“Fine, but don’t’ say I didn’t warn you.” Sighed Tony.

And with that, Tony carefully removed the shirt he’d be wearing to revile the reactor to Steve. Tony was right, there was a whole lot of scaring, but that didn’t matter to Steve. All Steve cared about was that Tony was here with him. Steve walked even closer and pulled Tony into a bit of an awkward hug. But, even with all the awkwardness, the hug conveyed how much Steve cared. He really cared about Tony even though they had just met. Tony was his soulmate and Steve didn’t care about anything else. 

There wasn’t much talking after that. Both men were emotionally drained for the day. They quickly got into their pyjamas and climbed into Tony’s king-sized bed. They both ended up on their side facing each other. Not talking, but just letting the moment sink in. They were finally together. Their souls were complete. 

Tony fell asleep first and Steve couldn’t help but watch for a bit. He finally had his soulmate here with him. Sure, their circumstances may have sucked major ass, but they were finally together. Steve reached out and interlocked his fingers with Tony’s. He joined Tony in sleep just like that. Together and happy.

The next day after waking up from a surprisingly restful sleep, Tony and Steve decided to continue spending time together.

“I can take the day off work. You’re more important. Besides, I’m totally going to be the one to introduce you to pop culture and music.

And that’s exactly what they did. They took breaks to eat and Tony had to call Pepper at one point. But other than that the whole day was devoted to educating Steve about new technology, movies, and music. Steve smiled the whole time Tony was talking. Sure, this whole thing was very overwhelming, but when Tony’s face lit up when explaining something, well, it made it all so much easier.

The next day went a whole lot like the first two. They talked and continued to get to know each other better and Tony decided to show Steve around Stark Tower. Despite its appearance from the outside, the tower was a marvel from the inside. There were still some bit’s on the lower floors that were just finishing up construction and Tony had told him that those spaces would be offices and RnD labs.

Now, Tony’s personal lab was another story. Tony had been so excited to show Steve his personal lab and everything in there that even Steve got hyped up to see the space. If it was anything like the rest of the tower then it would be a scientific spectacle. Tony was pretty much bouncing on his toes as he entered the code to get into the lab. Once the doors opened Steve was amazed. The whole space looked like something out of his wildest dreams. The space was full of half-finished inventions, tools, and blueprints and computers. It was amazing.

“If you think this is amazing then you haven’t seen anything yet.” Smirked Tony as he lead Steve further into the lab.

“Hey guys. Come on out and say hello!” called Tony and to Steve’s surprise three robots with one arm and wheels galore came rolling over beeping in excitement.

“DUM-E, U, Butterfingers, this is Steve. He’s my soulmate.” Smiled Tony as he introduced Steve to the bots.

“You made these?” asked Steve in awe as the one labelled DUM-E poked him in the stomach.

“Yup. They’re all rudimentary AIs so they all have their own personalities and affinity for trouble. I made DUM-E here when I was 15 at MIT. I made U because DUM-E was lonely and wanted a friend, and I made Butterfingers because DUM-E and U wanted another bot to play with.”

Steve was amazed as he watched the bots interact. He could see how each bot had their own personality and life. Tony really was amazing. He’d brought life, actual life, to metal. His soulmate was the perigone of the future. 

After Tony gave the bots some instructions and had warned Steve not to drink anything DUM-E gave him because of the motor oil, they continued on with the workshop tour. Tony showed Steve some of the things he’d been working on for the medical and green energy sectors and Steve was just in awe of it all. When Tony had said he was a genius he really meant it.

The last thing Tony showed Steve were his Iron man suits. Those were an engineering marvel! They reminded Steve of the old stories of knights and dragons. Tony was a real-life knight in shining armour! What made things even better was seeing Tony put on one of his more recent suits to show it off. With the suit on Tony was just a little bit taller than Steve and he looked so strong and capable. It had Steve thinking some impure thoughts that he had to try and squash down. He may be a virgin but he wasn’t a prude. 

“You know I can definitely lift you in this suit.” Smirked Tony as he walked over to Steve.

“No, no, no! Don’t you dare!” but it was too late. Tony had walked over to Steve and scooped the man into his arms with a laugh while Steve squirmed around and tried not to look any more embarrassed then he was already feeling.

The rest of the day was amazing. Steve had never laughed so much in his life. He felt happy, truly happy. He felt loved, he felt safe, everything was as it should be. But unfortunately, the little isolated world that the two had created couldn’t last forever. About a week after meeting, Tony got a call from someone named Pepper stating that he had a meeting that he had to attend or she would drag him there herself.

“Uhhhh. I don’t wanna goooooo.” Sighed Tony as he got all dressed up in a very classy business suit that had Steve feeling things.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re smart. You’ll keep yourself safe from all the crazy businessmen.”

Tony just sighed again but soon found himself heading off to his meeting. Steve, on the other hand, stayed behind at the tower. Tony had given him free reign of the tower but Steve really didn’t know what he should do all alone. It really was the first time he’d been alone since meeting his Tony. So, with nothing better to do, Steve grabbed the tablet Tony had given him and went about searching things up that he was curious about.

Steve spent the whole day sitting on the couch looking at shit on the tablet. He took some breaks for food but other than that he just sat there and looked. There was so much to learn but Steve mostly stuck to the things he was a bit too embarrassed to ask Tony. Most of those things were of the… um… sexual nature. There were things he needed to know but he just wasn’t ready to ask yet. While doing that kind of research, Steve ended up having to sequester himself in the bathroom for a bit. Tony's name was always on his lips in those moments.

That evening Tony got home right before dinner. Steve was cooking up something in the kitchen with the help of JARVIS so he didn’t burn anything. Tony smelled the wonderful aroma the second he entered the penthouse and was instantly drawn to the kitchen.

“Something smells like heaven.” Smiled Tony as he walked into the kitchen and stood at Steve’s side.

“Well, I thought I’d try my hand at cooking. It’s nice not having to boil everything.”

“Well, by the smell of things you’re doing a fantastic job Winghead.”

And then Tony stood on his tiptoes and kissed Steve on the lips like it was the most normal thing in the world for the two of them. It wasn’t. This was their first kiss together. Hell, it was Steve’s first kiss period! Both sort of stood there in surprise, not knowing what to do. Steve’s mind was racing with thoughts of the two of them getting caught and people taking his Tony away. Sure, he knew that things had changed and that wasn’t going to happen, but still. Steve had lived in fear for so long and that didn’t just go away overnight.

Tony, on the other hand, was blushing like a mad man. He felt a bit guilty. This was their first kiss and it should have been special and filled with other romantic gestures. Instead, it was a kiss given in thanks for cooking. But then again, it felt right. Kissing Steve just felt right. It was like even the smallest of touches between the two was special. So, Tony did the only logical thing and leant back in for another kiss. 

They kissed for a long while, just standing there in the kitchen in each other’s arms savouring the moment of closeness. Sure, it was a little awkward because Steve was woefully inexperienced, but he was a fast learner. It was only when JARVIS warned them that dinner was done cooking in the oven that they pulled apart. The two were smiling like loons.

“My Tony.” Sighed Steve as he leant his forehead on Tony’s.

“My Steve.” 

From there on out the two started kissing and cuddling more often. It was still a bit awkward, but they both wanted more and more but neither really knew what they were doing. Neither had really done this whole relationship thing before. It was all a work in progress and it certainly didn’t help with everyone’s insecurities.

Steve was mostly insecure because he felt that he couldn’t just measure up to Tony. Tony was perfect. He was good looking, affluent, and a genius. Steve was just some kid from the ’40s who got lucky. There were nights when Tony was sound asleep where Steve would just lay awake and think about everything that could go wrong with all of this. That he’d screw up and lose all of this. That he’d lose his Tony.

But, Steve wasn’t the only one who was having problems. Tony had the same thoughts constantly running through his head as well as some less the stellar things said by his old man about never being able to measure up to Captain America. The thing was Tony was just better at hiding all of his feeling underneath snarky remarks and bravado.

But Tony could also see that Steve was struggling with his emotions. So, despite the fact that he hated serious talks and the like, Tony pulled Steve aside one afternoon so they could talk about everything going on so that Steve could be comfortable. 

“Stevie, we need to talk. Something is eating at you and even though I know I’m one of the most emotionally constipated people on the planet I still care about you and I want to help. So talk to me.”

And Steve, to his credit, began to talk. He trusted Tony with this. If he couldn’t trust his soulmate then who could he trust? He told Tony about how he was still a bit freaked out about living in a new century. He told Tony about how he was struggling to fit in with everything. And he told Tony about how scared he was about having a same-sex soulmate. It had nothing to do with his love for Tony and everything to do his fear that they’d get caught and killed for being together. Sure, Fury had told him that things had changed, but that fear wasn’t going away. He was scared and he hated it.

“Steve, I can’t promise you that people won't talk and criticize us. I can’t promise that people won't throw scathing remarks our way. But I can promise that having a same-sex soulmate is no longer punishable by death in the eyes of the government. I can promise that I’ll always stick up for you. I can promise that we’ll always protect each other. Us together, we’ll be unstoppable and nobody can hurt us.”

Steve collapsed into Tony’s arms and cried at the news. It was one thing to hear the news from Fury in a professional setting. But it was completely different hearing it from Tony. Tony who was his shinning beacon here in the future, telling him that they’d be alright. It was what he needed to hear.

Tony’s words helped a lot with Steve’s confidence here in the new world. It gave him something to hold on to. That no matter what would happen, Tony would have his back and they’d be alright. So, when Tony brought up him wanting to introduce Steve to Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey, Steve didn’t really say no. He trusted Tony’s judgement with these people.

Tony was excited to tell his friends that he’d finally found his soulmate. He’d been alone for so long and was so happy for once that he was practically bouncing on his feet as he dragged Steve down to the lab to set up a giant video call. Steve thought his excitement was adorable.

Talking to Tony’s friends was an… experience. Tony sure knew how to nickname people so aggressively that nobody ever used their given names. It made Steve wonder when he’d get a cute name like that. Steve and Rhodey had a surprising amount in common once everyone had gotten over the fact that Steve was the actual Captain America and had survived frozen in the ice for 70 years. Rhodey being military himself understood one of Steve’s quirks about being back from the fight. Happy was a nice man, but definitely a bit overprotective if Tony.

Pepper was a whole story all together. She was simultaneously protective of Tony and ready to chew him out and if he messed up. Steve could tell that the people Tony chose to surround himself with really were like a family to him. Steve hoped that soon he’d be considered as part of all this. These little moments here in the future were things he wanted to hold onto.

About a week after the video call, right at the beginning of May, Tony had the brilliant idea to take Steve out on a date.

“Come on. It’ll be fun. I know this great Italian place a friend of my mom runs. It’s in a really secluded part of Brooklyn and the family knows me well so we won’t have to worry about the paparazzi. We can eat food and get out of this tower for once.” Pleaded Tony as he gave Steve the puppy dog eyes.

And Steve, despite his fear of the two getting hurt, agreed.

And you know what? He’d actually had a really great night. He and Tony decided to get all dolled up in suits and they made a big deal out of the whole thing. They took one of Tony’s less flashy cars, which was still pretty flashy, and they drove together to the restaurant. The car ride had been fun. Tony had been introducing Steve to all sorts of new music and the two had fun singing some songs by the band Queen as loudly as possible when they drove.

When they arrived at the place, Tony and the owner started speaking rapid-fire Italian that Steve had no hope of keeping up with what little he knew. He could tell there was some good-natured teasing and she seemed absolutely thrilled that Tony had found his soulmate.

Dinner itself was delicious. Steve had fun trying all sorts of new things and both went to town with desert. They both laughed at each others stupid jokes. It was nice. And even though Steve felt on edge being with his soulmate out in public, he had faith that Tony would keep him safe. Which was weird for someone who was a big, beefy guy to worry about. But inside, Steve was still that scared kids from long ago who dreamed of being safe and sound with his soulmate. 

Driving back to the tower, the atmosphere in the car seemed to shift a bit. Steve didn’t know what it was but he could hardly take his eyes off of Tony. It was if he was in a dream and his only focus was on Tony. Tony had noticed Steve staring and didn’t say anything. He just reached over and took Steve’s hand in his with a smile. It made Steve’s heart flutter. He really wanted to kiss Tony. He wanted to see his smile. And, a bit embarrassingly, he wanted to bring Tony pleasure. He wanted to make his Tony as happy as he made him. 

The kiss they shared upon returning to the tower started off all sweet and innocent but quickly turned heated as the rode the elevator back up to Tony’s floor of the tower. Steve had gotten much better at kissing since their awkward first kiss. He knew what Tony liked and what made them both feel good. He had a feeling that that night was going to be the night where he and Tony finally took their relationship to the next level. Steve was excited but also anxious. He didn’t want to disappoint his soulmate.

The two kept kissing as they got off the elevator and made their way towards the bedroom. Their hands wandered over each other and Tony was making little moaning sounds that were driving Steve crazy. They eventually made it to the bed where Tony took it upon himself to start pulling Steve’s clothes off.

“I knew you were built like a Greek God but come on. This isn’t fair.” Moaned Tony as his hands ran over Steve’s sculpted abs. Steve just bushed but decided that the best revenge was to yank off Tony’s shit to repay the favour. 

Steve let his hands play around the edges of the arc reactor as he returned to kissing his soulmate. After seeing it the first time Steve was no longer shocked by the device. Though Tony may hate it, Steve loved it. Seeing the light meant that his soulmate was alive and with him. Against all odds they were alive and together and it was perfect.

Steve ended up laying Tony down on his back and climbing on top so he could grind their erections together eliciting moans from both of them. Steve took that as a good sign. Sure, he’d taken the time to look up how to actually have sex with a man while Tony was working because he was never taught any of that, but this was still Steve’s first time with another person who wasn’t his left hand. He just wanted to do this right to show Tony how much he loved him.

From there, things got a bit more frenzied. Tony ended up reaching into his nightstand to grab the tube of lube while Steve got about taking off his increasingly tighter pants. Once they were both free of the cumbersome garments they ended up taking the other one in hand and carefully stroking.

“God Steve how are you so good at this?” sighed Tony as Steve kissed at his neck.

“I’ve had lots of practice while alone in my room.” He replied cheekily, his insecurities slowly dripping away as Tony sung him praise.

They continued like that for a little while. They took the time to learn each other’s bodies. Every scar, every freckle, every little touch was placed with love and adoration. But soon enough they both became more enthralled with the passions. They kissed fiercely as they pulled off each others pants and boxers. Tony palmed over Steve’s erection and used that distraction to reach over and pull the lube out of the bedside drawer.

“How do you want to do this?” asked Steve nervously in between kisses.

“How bout like this.” Smirked Tony.

Tony took that time to roll over onto his front and lift his perfect hips in the air. Steve was practically drooling at the sight and that was only exasperated when he caught sight at the black silicone nestled between Tony’s cheeks. 

“Is that a…”

“I may or may not have been planning this out and wanted to get to the main event because I’ve waited my whole life to have you with me and I’m impatient.”

Steve had no reply to that. He had nothing. The scene in front of him was just so enticing. It was like something out of one of his private fantasies that he used to play alone in his mind while he was alone in his tent in the army. Here was Tony, face down, ass up, prepped and ready for him. Who was Steve not to take advantage. 

Steve carefully removed the plug from Tony. Tony moaned into the pillows as Steve moved it back and forth a bit just to make sure that everything was loose enough. Steve was very well endowed and he didn’t want to hurt Tony. He could never hurt Tony. Steve took a moment to admire Tony’s ass as he chucked the plug off to the side. It really was a nice ass.

“Are you sure about this Tony?” asked Steve one more time. He just wanted to be sure before they went any further.

“Steve, I love you and I know this is your first time and I shouldn’t rush you but if you don’t get your perfect dick in my ass soon I’m going to lose my mind.”

Well, that was some very enthusiastic consent. Steve just smiled nervously and reached over for the lube. He made sure to slick himself up with a generous amount before he took a deep breath and pushed into his soulmate for the first time. Tony moaned loudly as Steve bottomed out. Both were already breathing heavily and they had to take a moment to calm down or else this would be over all too soon. 

Steve draped himself down over Tony’s back so they could share some kisses before Tony got impatient and began moving his hips back to meet Steve’s. Steve got the hint and slowly started to move. Steve started out tentative so he didn’t hurt Tony, but he was finding that to be a bit difficult. Feeling Tony around him was like nothing he’d ever felt before. The warm tightness was more intoxicating then anything Steve had ever drunk and the little moans that Tony let out were making his head spin.

“Yes! Yes Steve! Yes! Just like that!” cried out Tony as Steve began to speed up.

As Steve continued on he became more confident. He sucked a deep purple hickey on Tony’s neck as he tried to angle his thrusts a bit more. Steve knew he’d done something right because after a well-placed thrust Tony screamed out Steve’s name and collapsed flat on the bed. Steve followed and let out a deep moan of his own as he felt Tony begin to get even tighter. Steve let his right hand settle on the mattress to keep himself upright while his left hand laced itself with Tony’s. The touch was grounding and reminded Steve of how lucky he was to finally have his Anthony with him. 

“Tony. Tony. I’m close. I’m so close.” Breathed out Steve.

“Me too. Please Steve. Inside. Please!” begged Tony.

Steve sped up a bit more, just relishing in all the sensations he was feeling. Everything just felt so amazing. And what felt even more amazing and gratifying was when Tony tensed up and spilt into the sheets with a sweet cry of Steve’s name. It was all too much for Steve and he soon finished deep inside his soulmate with a cry of his own. He had to use all his strength to keep from collapsing on Tony so Steve ended up pushing himself up and out so he would fall down at Tony’s side. He took a moment to breathe before he pulled his Tony into his arms.

“Holy fuck Steve. That was amazing. Top marks.” Sighed Tony as the two snuggled together. Steve just laughed a bit and gave Tony a little kiss.

“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint.”

“How on Earth are you so perfect Steve?”

“I’m only perfect because we’re perfect together.” Smiled Steve. “I’m so glad I’m here with you. I finally feel complete.” 

“My soulmate is a sap.” Grinned Tony and Steve pulled him in closer. The two ended up falling asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning the two soulmates woke up cuddled close in each other's arms unaware that the world was about to be hit with a shit storm of epic proportions. Steve thought it was nice being able to wake up with Tony at his side. It was everything he’d dreamed of when he was younger. He was safe and happy. His soulmate was smart and amazing. He just couldn’t believe his luck.

As the two got ready for the day together they stuck to each other like glue. Sappy smiles were shared over breakfast and gently kisses were shared as they worked together down in the lab. It was great. 

“Hey, don’t forget, Pepper’s coming over tonight to help me connect the tower to the new arc reactor.” Reminded Tony as he was teaching Steve had to help him solder wires for some new device.

Steve nodded as he thought about what Tony had told him about the arc reactor. According to Tony, attaching the tower to an arc reactor was a huge leap forward in renewable energy and sustainability. Every time Tony brought it up he was always smiling and so proud of his achievement. And he had every right to be. This was huge!

The rest of the day was spent preparing everything. Pepper arrived before dinner and they all talked together. This was Steve’s first time meeting Pepper in person and not in a video call so it was a bit special for him too.

As Tony went off to connect the reactor to the tower Pepper stayed behind to take readings and check everything over. Steve stayed off to the side and watched. He was still learning everything and all the numbers and graphs on the screens meant nothing to him. As long as nothing was flashing red and screaming at him he knew things were fine.

And things were. The reactor was working great and the tower was completely off of the electrical grid. It worked! When Tony landed back at the tower he was smiling and giddy. He practically launched himself into Steve’s arms once he saw how the numbers were holding. Steve smiled too and tried not to let his fears show about hugging Tony in front of someone else. Pepper was cool and Steve logically knew that she wouldn’t do anything, but he was still a bit scared.

Unfortunately, just as the night's celebration was about to start to commemorate taking the tower off the grid, JARVIS said that Tony was receiving a call from Agent Coulson. Steve knew of the man but hadn’t met him. Tony just sent him to voicemail.

“Sir, I’m afraid my protocols are being overwritten.” Tony just sighed dramatically and answered the phone.

“You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message.” Spoke Tony as deadpanned as possible. Steve and Pepper were trying their hardest not to laugh.

“This is urgent!” came Coulson’s voice from the other end.

“The leave it urgently.”

And just then the elevator doors opened to the penthouse and a man in a very nice suit and a briefcase walked out.

“Phil. Come in.” smiled Pepper. So this must be Coulson.

“Um, Phil? His first name is Agent.” Muttered Tony as he got up to follow Pepper. Steve, not knowing what to do, followed behind Tony.

Agent Coulson started talking and Steve wasn’t too sure what was going on. Sure, he knew that something big was happening by how stressed he looked but Steve didn’t know what. But, he had a feeling he’d know soon as Coulson moved to hand the case to Tony. 

“I don’t like being handed things.”

“I’ll take it Tony.” Smiled Steve as he took the briefcase and proceeded to hand it off to Tony. The look Agent Coulson shot him made Steve feel very self-conscious.

“Official consulting hour is between three and five every other Thursday.”

“This isn’t a consultation and this isn’t about personality profiles anymore. We need you and the Captain here to come in,” spoke Coulson and Steve looked confused. What on Earth was happening.

“Is this about the Avengers? Asked Pepper excitedly. “Which I know nothing about.”

Pepper and Agent Agent continued to converse and Tony began walking over to his computers with the case. Steve followed close behind. 

“Why are you even calling me in?” snarked Tony as he got things set up. “I thought because of you’re little spider who, you know, decided to do a profile on me while I was dying, that I didn’t even qualify for this.”

“Why wouldn’t you qualify?” asked Steve. His Tony was strong and a good man, why would someone say he wasn’t a good fit for the team?

“Apparently I’m volatile, self-obsessed, don’t play well with others.” Steve hated those words the moment Tony said them. Even in the short time, Steve had been with Tony, he knew none of those were true. Tony was selfless, caring, and played plenty well with others as long as they were good people. 

“So, what’s this all about?” asked Steve as Tony hooked up everything while Coulson and Pepper talked in the background.

“Nothing good.” Sighed Tony as he proceeded to bring all the information up.

Despite all the information being organized, it was pure madness. There were videos, personal profiles, and scientific papers. It was insane. Although, through all the clutter, one thing in particular caught his eye. One thing that he really didn’t like seeing. 

“Is that the Tesseract?” asked Steve, his teeth clenching.

“It is Captain. You have any insight for us?” asked Coulson who looked excited to be in Steve’s presence.

“You should have left it in the ocean.”

“Well, it looks like you two have homework.” Smiled Pepper as she tried to break the tension in the room. “I’m flying to DC with Happy in the morning so I’ll leave you two to it.”

“You two have the night to prepare. Be ready. I’ll have an escort pick you guys up at 7 am.”

And with that Coulson and Pepper were gone, leaving Tony and Steve to go over everything. They ended up sitting on the floor and going over each section of information together. Steve understood the personal profiles and battle documents while Tony had a hay day pretty much teaching himself thermonuclear astrophysics. When they got to the profile about Dr. Bruce Banner, Tony all but squealed like a little kid on Christmas.

“What’s got you so excited?”

“Dr. Banner is an absolute expert on gamma radiation among other things. I’ve read all his papers. I’ve always wanted to meet him so I can pick his brain and now I get to do that!”

But still, even with Tony’s excitement over meeting Dr. Banner, Steve could tell that Tony was still nervous about everything happening. Steve was too. There was something that they weren’t being told and Steve didn’t like it.

The next day they were all packed and ready to go. Just as promised Coulson was there to pick them up along with an escort. Steve got into the car just fine but it was Tony who was having some problems.

“Can I drive?” asked Tony as he looked at Coulson.

“You don’t even know where we’re going.”

“So. I can figure it out.”

“No Stark. Just get in the car.”

Steve heard Tony grumbling as he got into the car and pulled up the divider between the front and back seats. He buckled up and his arms were crossed to hide his hands shaking as they drove to the airport.

“What’s wrong Tony?" Asked Steve as he looked over at his soulmate.

“I don’t like not being in control of the vehicle I’m in. Too many bad situations with that, like Afghanistan.”

Steve nodded in understanding and tried to tell stupid jokes and stories as they drove in the hope that it would distract Tony enough

Once they were at the airport they were ushered onto a funky looking jet that had Steve perplexed. It reminded him a bit of the plane he went down in as it looked high tech and nothing like all the other planes in the airport.

As they took to the air they began flying over the ocean. Steve avoided looking at the water and so was Tony. Neither were thrilled about being over the ocean and so much water in general because of their pasts. They passed the time by trying to get more information from Coulson who just told them to wait for Fury. So, they stopped talking for a bit, and after some very awkward silence, Coulson turned to Steve and spoke up. 

“Let me just say Captain, it’s an honour to finally meet you.” Smiled Coulson like a giddy school girl. Steve reached out to shake his hand and Tony tried not to laugh at the whole thing.

“Well, we sort of met before. I watched you when you were… Sleeping.” Spoke Coulson but he amended his statement when Tony sent him a look. “I mean, I was present while you were unconscious.”

As the jet landed on some sort of ocean carrier, Coulson lead Tony and Steve off the jet where they were quickly introduced to Agent Natasha Romanov and Dr. Bruce Banner. Tony gave Natasha a hard stare before he started talking science with Dr. Banner. Tony smiled as he looked at how excited his soulmate was but he hid all his other reactions. Even with everything that Tony had told him, Steve was still nervous to reveal anything.

After a few minutes of talking, they were all lead inside to the flight deck where Fury was going to brief them all on any new developments that had occurred overnight. As they entered the room, Steve wen to go take a seat across from Natasha, Bruce stood off to the side, and Tony started poking around the flight deck while Fury talked. Tony wasn’t paying much attention to what Fury was saying. He had plans of his own.

“That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.”

“Look Stark, we’ve got eyes on Loki. After we retrieve him I need you and Banner to start looking for the cube.” Snarked Fury and Tony shrugged. Steve wondered what Tony was playing at. He must have some sort of plan that Steve hadn’t picked up on yet.

After some more information was given, Fury dismissed Natasha, Steve, and Tony to go get ready. Natasha went one way while Tony and Steve went another after Steve was handed a new uniform. Just by having the thing in his hands he could already tell he hated it. 

“Wow Steve, that uniform does nothing for your ass.” Whistled Tony once Steve had put on the uniform.

“Nobody asked you to look, Tony.”

“And why wouldn’t I look? You’re my soulmate and I’ve seen that glorious ass naked. Trust me, that suit is NOT doing you any favours.”

At the thought of Tony looking at him like that while they ere out in public, Steve felt butterflies in his stomach. They were both good and bad. Good because Tony was looking at him and appreciating him, but bad because then people would see. Steve must have had some sort of look on his face because Tony walked over and put an arm around his shoulder.

“Alright Puddin’ Pop, I can tell you’re thinking and getting worked up. What’s wrong?” 

“Tony, what if they try to hurt us for being together? What if… What if they make fun of us?” sighed Steve as he looked at Tony’s face. He just wanted to be safe. That’s all he wanted.

“Then I’ll fight them. I’m not letting them mess with us.” Stated Tony very matter of fact. There was no room for argument. “But, if you’re this worried I’ll keep everything toned down to a minimum until you feel safe and ready.”

They didn’t have much time to talk after that. Natasha was ready to leave already and Tony still had to get into his suit.

The flight to Stuttgart wasn’t very long. Steve rode in the jet with Natasha while Tony flew alongside them blasting his own music through the sound system. Although, Steve was about thiiiiis close to killing him when he played “What’s new Pussy Cat” 21 times with one “It’s not unusual” in the middle. All Natasha could tell Steve was to listen to this comedian named John Mulaney to get the joke.

Once they arrived they caught Loki right in the middle of a large group of people. Tony and Steve sprung into action together. People ran to safety as Steve hit Loki with his shield and Tony hit him with a blast and brought out the big guns to take in Loki.

And that was when the problems started. They all agreed that Loki was extremely easy to capture. Something about that was very off. Tony and Steve were discussing it off to the side when the sound of thunder rang through the jet and Loki looked off-put.

“What, scared of a little thunder?” mocked Tony.

“I’m not overly fond of what follows.”

And just seconds later, a man Steve recognized from the mission packet as Thor swooped in and stole Loki from them. Tony immediately jumped into action to retrieve Loki, and after a bit of finagling with the parachute, Steve jumped out of the plane to go follow.

Well, it turned out that Tony and Steve were not only perfect matches in life but also in battle. Even though they had only spared once together back in Tony’s private gym, they seemed to be in perfect sync as they fought Thor and persuaded him to bring Loki into SHIELD custody so they could find the cube.

They don’t know what they did but it worked and soon enough everyone was on the jet back to the carrier. 

When they arrived back, Loki was immediately thrown in a holding container while Tony and Bruce went off to go start their search for the cube. Steve stayed on the flight deck a little longer to talk to Thor about what he knew so they had more information on Loki’s plans. The fact that it looked like Loki wanted to stage an alien invasion wasn’t sitting well with him at all.

After a little while, Steve decided to leave the flight deck to check in on things going on with Loki. But, just as he rounded a corner he was stopped by Natasha who was looking at him strangely. 

“What’s going on between you and Stark? You came in with him and you work oddly well together. Stark doesn’t work well with anyone.”

“Well, um, Fury introduced us because I knew his dad. He’s been helping me with all this future stuff.” Lied Steve. He wasn’t ready, to tell the truth yet. He didn’t need people finding out and wanting to hurt him or questioning his ability to lead.

Natasha looked at Steve but seemed to accept his lie. She walked off to go talk to Agent Hill about something while Steve walked off to go check in with Tony and Bruce’s work. He might not understand most of it but it looked interesting and if it was important to Tony then it was important to him.

When Steve walked into he lab space he was greeted with the sight of Tony and Bruce goofing off. He wanted to smile at their antics, but they were in the middle of a mission and they needed to focus.

“Shouldn’t you two be working?” asked Steve as he walked closer to the two.

“We are. I’ve got some ideas floating around. Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before this all went to shit? Fury’s not telling us something and I can’t work without all the variables in play.” Spoke Tony as he walked around the room and picked up a bag of snacks he’d hidden.

“He’s definitely hiding something.

“Wait, you guys think he’d hiding something too?” asked Bruce and the two nodded.

“I’ve had JARVIS active since we all first arrived on the bridge of this ship thing. In a little bit, he’ll be giving us all sorts of information. Somethings not right here and I intend to find out what’s happening.” Rambled Tony and Steve watched the whole exchange, intrigued by all the science babble. 

“I have so many questions about this. Like the cube itself. It looks to be a self-sustaining energy source not unlike the arc reactor in your tower that’s all over the news. So, if that’s the case, why didn’t Fury bring you in? What’s SHIELD doing in the energy sector?” asked Bruce as Tony offered him a snack.

“I’ll have JARVIS look into that. Something is definitely not right here. SHIELD’s planning something and I don’t like it.”

“Fury gave me some high clearance earlier. Plus I can be subtle enough. I can go look through the ship to see if I can find anything.” Offered Steve. He wanted to help in any way he could.

“Just be careful. We don’t know what Fury wants and he might try to use stuff against us to achieve that.” Spoke Tony and Steve’s stomach did a flip. He hadn’t thought of that. But, he didn’t have time to worry. There was a mission to complete.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this. How hard can it be to sneak around on a ship full of spies?”

Tony just laughed a bit and soon Steve was off. Something really wasn’t right and he needed to get to the bottom of it. What Steve found surprising about the whole ordeal was that it was surprisingly easy to sneak around. He made his way to the bowels of the ship and came across a heavily reinforced door. That seemed like a good place to start. So, Steve strong-armed the door open so he could take a look.

Inside the door were crates and crates of weapons. And not just any weapons. They looked exactly like old HYDRA weapons that had been powered by the cube back in the war. Steve looked at them and their eerie blue glow. He felt like throwing up. He thought that HYDRA had been left in the past where they belonged! Well, it turned out that he wasn’t the only thing pulled out from a time best left forgotten.

Steve carefully grabbed one of the weapons and made his way back to the lab. He needed to tell Tony what was happening right away before people got hurt because of these weapons. But, as Steve entered the lab, he feared he was too late as Fury was already there and Tony was asking him what “Phase 2” was.

“Phase 2 is SHIELD making HYDRA weapons using the cube.” Snarked Steve as he gently placed the weapon on a table. He didn’t want to accidentally set it off.

And that was when all the arguing started. As Steve and Tony chewed Fury out about the weapons, Natasha and Thor entered. Natasha asked Bruce to leave and then he started fighting back with his words. But Bruce did bring up a good point. Why was SHIELD using the cube along with HYDRA technology to make weapons as mass destruction?

“Because of him.” Snapped Fury pointing over at Thor. “Last year he and his batshit crazy motherfucker of a brother had a fight that almost blew a small town off the map. We are hopelessly outmatched here!”

And that spurred on another argument. Thor was mad because his people wanted nothing but peace with Earth. Natasha was just trying to defend SHIELD’s actions, and Fury was bringing Tony’s past with weapons into the equation. And you know what. That made Steve angry. From what Tony said about his past it seemed like Stane had pulled the wool over his eyes and the board of SI was full of old men stuck in the past with Howard Stark. Only recently he was able to get footing and change things up.

So, Steve jumped to Tony’s defence and that started even more arguments and the room started getting louder and louder and louder and it was horrible and Steve’s brain wasn’t stopping and it wasn’t until Steve caught Bruce holding the sceptre with its glowing gem that things finally calmed down for a second.

But even so, the calm didn’t last for long. Just as Bruce was putting down the sceptre after realizing he’d been holding it, there was a ping from one of the computers. They’d located the cube and it was time to spring into action. But just as the argument about who was going to head out first began, Steve noticed something shoot by the window outside. He didn’t like that.

“Tony… Put on the suit.” Spoke Steve as he felt a shift in the air. Something bad was about to happen.

“What?”

“Put on the suit.”

But just as soon as Steve spoke those words the room literally exploded around them. He didn’t really care about what had happened to the others. Well, he did care, but in the aftermath of the explosion, Steve had other priorities. He called out for Tony and upon finding his soulmate, he pulled the man to his feet and began checking him over.

“Steve! Steve, I’m fine. Let’s go!” shouted Tony over the sound of creaking metal and flames.

They were quick to get Tony into his suit and to get their orders. One of the turbines keeping them in the air was down and it was their job to fix it. Steve helped where he could, but he still had to have Tony explain some things that he didn’t understand.

Things became tense when Steve became entangled with some brainwashed SHIELD agents who tried to stop their work, and it was a very, very close call when Tony got himself stuck in the now fully functional turbine, but in the end, they both made it out of the situation alive and together.

The same could not be said for Agent Phil Coulson. 

Everyone was pretty cut up about it. Steve could tell that Tony was upset. He knew Coulson pretty well and Steve knew that his death was eating at him. All Steve wanted to do was go and comfort Tony and go somewhere safe where they could relax and be happy and not seen by the world, but that wasn’t an option and Steve was still too nervous and scared about repercussions to even reach out and hold Tony’s hand.

He counted it as a little victory when Tony walked out on Fury and Steve followed him.

They ended up at the spot where Coulson died. There was still blood on the ground and the entire room smelt like smoke and ash. Steve took a chance that nobody was watching and reached out and took Tony’s hand in his. Tony just turned that little handhold into a full-blown hug. It took Steve a moment to even reciprocate as he was trying not to shake in fear. He needed to keep his distance to protect his Tony. So the world didn’t find out and hurt then because Steve wasn’t good enough to protect them.

Tony noticed how stiff Steve was and took a step back. He knew what Steve was thinking and wanted to make him comfortable. As he stepped back, Steve noticed Tony scanning the room with almost robotic-like movements. He had some ideas and Steve wanted to know what they were. So, he pushed past his own fear and doubt and asked.

“What’s on your mind? I can tell you’re thinking really hard over there.”

“He made it personal.” Blurted out Tony while Steve looked on in confusion.

“What?”

“That’s Loki’s point! He made it personal. He hit us all by killing someone we all know and care about even if just a bit. Why? He knows he has to take us out so tearing apart by grief and anger is a good start. So, why didn’t he?” asked Tony the wheel in his head kept on turning. 

“I don’t know. Maybe he wants something else out of all of this?”

“Loki’s a diva. He wants to be seen taking us out. He wants the world to know that he’s stronger than all of us. He wanted the parade. He wants flowers. He wants monuments to the sky with his name plastered on everything…”

“What? Tony?” asked Steve. The look on Tony’s face was concerning.

“Son of a bitch! He’s going for the tower to use the arc reactor. We need to go NOW!”

After Tony filled Steve in on what was going on with information given by JARVIS, Steve ran off to get Natasha and her friend Clint while Tony flew off towards the tower. The bigger head start they had on getting Loki the better. Steve and the others were given com units that relayed them into JARVIS and soon enough they too were on their way to the tower.

The whole flight Steve sat there looking out the front window while Clint and Natasha flew the jet. He couldn’t help but wonder how the fuck his life had gotten to a point like this. There was an incoming alien invasion and he’d be fighting with a big metal frisbee. He really should have taken up Tony’s offer for extra weapons.

“Guys! I need back up. Loki’s opened a portal and all these things are coming through it.” Came Tony’s panicked voice through the coms. Steve looked out and saw a bright blue, cloud-like object in the sky with beasts falling from it in droves.

“We’ll be there. Swing them by Park and 3rd so we can start corralling them.” Ordered Natasha as she took over controls of the weapons in the jet. 

“Roger that.”

They all began flying and shooting down aliens while Tony began herding them. Thor was at the tower locked in a one on one battle with Loki. Unfortunately, once they were in full view of the tower, Loki saw them and shot them down. Clint had to make an emergency landing in the middle of the street. Although, it was less emergency and more crash.

As soon as the jet had stopped moving, Steve pushed all his fear aside and along with Clint and Natasha, started sprinting back to the tower just as huge Leviathans filled with soldiers started flying down from the portal.

From there, the mission was simple. Protect the civilians while taking out as many Chitauri as possible. Tony and Thor were lighting things up in the skies, Clint and Natasha took over areal vantage points, and Steve went in and out of buildings.

Hordes of Chitauri kept coming and honestly Steve was feeling overwhelmed and nervous. The only things keeping him grounded were the occasional sight of Tony flying by and the sounds of people he needed to help. Steve was just about to run into a building to evacuate it when he saw the sight of Loki flying close to the ground on one of the Chitauri’s flying scooter things. So, Steve took a chance and threw his shield to know him down. He was honestly surprised when it worked. 

As Loki rolled across the ground from his fall, Steve made his way closer and called for Thor to come when he was able. All he had to do was keep Loki contained and not get near the sceptre. He really didn’t fancy being brainwashed by a fascistic villain.

“Loki, this ends now. Call off your attack and close the portal. You will lose.”

“Oh my dear Captain, but I do believe that it is you who will lose in the end.” Smirked Loki and Steve looked confused as the god’s smirk quickly turned to a scowl.

“I saw your name on his wrist. You are a fool Captain if you ever think you’ll have the chance to live in love. I can see your fears. You’ll never get your so-called happy ending.” Snarled Loki.

And he was right. Steve did have fears. Steve was scared of being out of his time. He was scared of dying now that he had his soulmate. He was scared of his Tony being hurt and taken away from him because they were together. But, in spite of all of his fears, Steve knew that he and Tony were in love. He knew that no matter what they’d be happy together. He knew that they’d keep each other safe.

And that was enough for Steve.

“You’re wrong. I’ve got my second chance. My happy ending. And I’m damn well not letting someone like you take that away from us.” 

Steve charged forward with the shield held aloft in order to get a hit on Loki. He got in one solid hit before Loki pushed him back with his own shield and vanished into the wind. From there, it was back into the fray. Everyone was shouting at everybody and just trying not to get hit.

But, just as there was a lull in the seemingly endless storm of blood and fear, the sound of a motorcycle got closer and closer. Steve turned around from where he was talking to Thor to see that Bruce had finally arrived and was ready to fight.

Things just picked up faster and faster from there. With Bruce revealing his secret, (“That’s my secret Cap. I’m always angry.”) Hulk joined the fight and Steve was belting out orders so they could all cover the most ground. Thor was lighting up the skies with his lightning. Steve could feel the change in the air on his arms. Tony was in the skies keeping things close and contained. Clint was their eyes. He had the best view. And himself and Natasha, they were on the ground doing what they could.

But unfortunately, they were all starting to get tired.

There were moments as the fight dragged on where Steve honestly thought that his enhanced body was going to give out on him. He ached all the way down to his bones and his vision was getting blurry with a mixture of exhaustion, dirt, and sweat. It hurt to breathe just like when he had asthma.

But Steve knew he couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop until this was over or he was dead. Although, he’d very much prefer not to be dead. He didn’t want to die and leave his Tony alone without him. So, Steve fought on. Tony and joined him on the ground at one point and even without talking to each other, they were able to tell the best way to launch a combined attack. Shooting a laser off of Steve’s shield was a pretty impressive way to take out a lot of soldiers in one go. 

There was a point in the fight where Steve honestly thought that he was going to die. He was inside of a bank trying to save the hundreds of people who were cornered inside. He took a blast from a bomb that sent him flying out of a window and onto an abandoned He could feel his ribs and wrist breaking as he hit the metal hard and stumbled off. But for as much as Steve just wanted to lie down he knew he couldn’t stop. He could get medical attention later. For now, he needed to fight.

Steve ended up working with Thor on the ground for a bit. They worked well but Steve was slowing down and hurting. And added onto that, he hadn’t seen or heard from Tony in a little while. Steve was beginning to worry. They needed this to end and fast or they were going to exhaust themselves too much and they didn’t have any backup.

“Does anyone copy? I can close it! I can close the portal!” shouted Natasha over the coms. Her voice sounded like salvation.

“Do it!” shouted Steve eager to finish this.

“No! Don’t!” came Tony’s voice and everyone looked confused.

“Tony these things are still coming!” warned Steve as he looked to the skies and all the decimation around him. 

“Yeah, and I’ve got a nuke incoming that’s gonna blow in less than a minute! And I know just where to put it.

“You know that’s a one-way trip, right Tony. You don’t have to do this.”

“I’m so sorry. Steve. There’s no other way. I’m so sorry.”

“Tony. No. Please don’t! I can’t.” pleaded Steve as he watched Tiny fly towards the portal with the nuke. 

“I’m so sorry.”

“I love you.” Whispered Steve. He didn’t care that the others could hear through the coms. He didn’t care if this would condemn him. He’d stopped caring the moment his soulmate condemned himself to death.

“I love you, Steve. Never forget that. I love…” the loving words cut off as Tony entered the portal and all Steve could hear was static.

No! NO! TONY! NOOOO!” shouted Steve as tears began streaming down his face. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening!

Just after Tony disappeared through the portal the Chitauri started falling like puppets with their strings cut. They were soon all standing in a sea of the dead. And that was when Thor gave Natasha the order to close the portal.

Steve had no words as it happened. His hands were shaking and his voice was caught in his throat. He no longer registered his own pain. He just stood there numbly and hoped that Tony would fall back through the portal as he slowly closed.

He did, but Tony was falling too fast and wasn’t moving and Steve was still freaking out. Luckily Hulk caught him and brought Tony back to the ground. Steve sprinted to Tony’s side and ripped the faceplate off of the armour. Tony’s face was all cut up and bruised. His eyes were closed and the arc reactor was dark. Steve placed his hand on Tony’s chest and shook him a bit. Nothing. Steve leant down and listened to see if Tony was breathing. Nothing. And that’s when Steve began to freak out.

“No! No! Tony, please! Please come back to me. I just found you. I just got you. Please, Tony.” Sobbed Steve as he looked at the man in front of him. His heart was breaking every second that Tony hadn’t woken up.

“Please Tony. My Anthony. Please. You can’t leave me. I love you.”

Tony still didn’t move. There was barely a heartbeat and Steve was losing hope. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing. As tears fell from his eyes, Steve leant down and kissed his soulmate goodbye.

And, while Steve was giving Tony one last kiss, the universe was giving them another chance. Tony’s arc reactor flickered back to life and Tony’s eyes flew open with a few harsh coughs. Steve’s face lit up like to forth of July as he all but collapsed onto Tony’s chest in tears.

“Holy crap! What just happened?”

“We won. You’re alive and we won.” Cried Steve, completely uncaring of everything around him.

Tony sighed and struggled to sit up so he could hug Steve properly. Bother were exhausted and in pain but none of that mattered. All they cared about was that they were alive and could stay together.

“So, um… when were we gonna learn that Stark and Captain Goodie Two Shoes were soulmates? Just askin’ here.” Spoke Clint over the coms.

The words very quickly reminded Steve that they weren’t alone and Steve reluctantly pulled back. He looked Tony in the eyes before his hands started shaking. All he wanted to do was take Tony and run. Run so they didn’t get hurt. Run so that nobody could see who he really was and who he loved. Unfortunately, they were still in a war zone and they had one last job to do.

“You guys can all worry about your love lives after. There’s still work to be done.” Jibbed Natasha. And she was completely right. They still had to bring in Loki.

So, with a lot of help from Thor, Tony and Steve made their way back to the tower so they could apprehend Loki. It was a long walk despite not actually being very far to go. Steve could feel his wrist and ribs burning as they walked and he was sure that Tony was feeling the same. All he wanted was a nap.

Apprehending Loki was easier now that he had no weapons on him and had been bashed into the floor repeatedly by the Hulk. Quickly SHIELD showed up and took the sceptre and cube away for the night, along with Loki who was heavily guarded. The Avengers remained at the tower. They’d all earned a rest before Thor took Loki and the cube back to Asgard the next day. All six of then ended up in borrowed clothes just vegging out on the sofa in Tony and Steve’s Personal living room away from the destruction just munching on snacks and tending to their wounds.

“So, back to my question from before. When were we going to find out that you two are together?” asked Clint once more as he stuffed his face with BBQ chips.

Steve looked down at his hands once more. They were shaking again. He was just waiting for the words of hatred to come spilling from everyone’s lips. He was just waiting for them all to take him away from his Tony. He was just waiting for the worst. Steve was so caught up in his own mind that he didn’t even register Tony holding his hands in his and offering words of comfort. 

“Hey, Steve. Steve. It’s alright. You’re alright. I’m alive. You’re alive. You’re safe. Nobodies going to hurt us. Remember what I said. I won’t let anyone hurt us. Nobodies going to mess with us.” Soothed Tony as Steve slowly began to calm down. Everyone else in the room was looking concerned, but Steve didn’t notice them. He could only focus on Tony.

“Hey, there big guy. It’s alright.” Smiled Tony as he continued to help Steve calm down. Steve just leant forward and rested his head on Tony’s shoulder.

“Nobody here’s going to hurt you guys Steve. We’re all decent people here. If anything we protect our own and I think after today we’re all closer for it.” Spoke Natasha and everyone nodded.

Steve took a moment to look around the room. Everyone was actually looking fiercely protective of the duo. There was a fire in their tired eyes that spoke volumes of how far they’d all go to protect each other. They may have only been a team now for a few hours, but the bond they now shared was deep. Steve could see them all becoming a sort of makeshift family.

“You mean it?” asked Steve as he lowered his gaze once more.

“Of course Captain. The bond shared between two souls is precious and must be protected.” Smiled Thor as he tossed his hammer around. He ended up accidentally dropping it on his foot and the laughter that they shared helped to loosen the air on the room. 

“So Barton, not to be a downer or anything, but why did you even ask? We would have come out on our own time.” Asked Tony and Clint began fiddling with the phone in his hands.

“Well, I ask because there’s already a story and pictures going around of the battle and there’s a pretty cute one of you two kissing. So yeah, the media knows.” Said Clint as he pulled up an article on his cracked phone. It was a miracle the thing still worked after having been in the archer’s pocket the entire fight.

At that news, Steve’s breathing and shaking began to pick up again. But Tony was quick to take his hands and offer comfort and reassurance. The touch was grounding and it helped Steve stay focused on Tony and not on the things going on around him. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright Steve. Remember what I said. Nobody is going to mess with us. And even though I have trust issues up the wazoo, I trust everyone else in this room to have our backs. So what if the media knows. That doesn’t change the way that I feel about you and the way you feel about me. Sure, the press are jerks but I refuse to let them mess with us. So, what we’re going to do is face this together. We’ll face this as a team and I know we’ll come out on top. So what do you say, Steve? Shall we walk through this together and show the world that we’re stronger together?” 

Steve looked back at his soulmate. He’d spent so much of his life hiding in the shadows trying to find a safe space to live. And now that he had it he knew he had to keep it. Was he scared? Absolutely. Was he going to let people tear him away from his love? Absolutely not! So, Steve summoned up some courage and spoke the words he knew he had to so he could be safe and happy with his Tony.

“I’m with you. I will always be with you. With you till the end of time and forever after.” Whispered Steve. And he meant it. He truly meant it. Meant it till his last breath. 

“Does this mean I can finally take you out at fun places? Because I really wanna show you off.” Smiled Tony as he leant up to give Steve’s cheek a kiss.

“I guess it does. Just don’t go too overboard.”

“No promises.”

Steve couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at his Tony. If you had asked Steve when he was young whether he’d ever get to be this happy and safe with his soulmate, he’d have said no. But now, Steve knew he could never go back to times like that. He was so unbelievably lucky. He had the best soulmate in the world, he was healthy and had a safe place to live, he was making friends, and most importantly, he was in love. Steve was so stupidly in love and he knew that love for his Tony was only going to grow bigger and bigger. Maybe someday, after he’d worked through his issues and gotten enough courage he’d ask his fella to marry him. But until that day, Steve was content to just live in the moment with Tony.

He couldn’t ask for a better ending.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Tony was saved by true loves kiss. Yes I know it’s cheesy but it’s the holidays so I don’t care. Enjoy my cheese. Especially mozzarella. That shit’s good. I hope you liked the fic. This is honestly the longest one-shot I’ve ever written. I feel pretty proud of that. I’m happy with how this turned out. Once again, Happy Holidays Padraigen! Their works are amazing and I highly recommend you check them out. So, with all now said and done, I’ll be seeing you all around. Happy Holidays!


End file.
